Musk Foundation
Musk Foundation is a private foundation based in Austin, Texas. It supports renewable energy and human space exploration research and advocacy, pediatric research, science and engineering education, and the development of safe artificial intelligence to benefit humanity.
Musk Foundation at a glance
In short: Musk Foundation gave $474.3M across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $8.6M), mostly in Texas. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $474,325,312
- +100.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +27.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,624,097
- +56.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000,000
- Total assets
- $462,970,680
- -13.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Texas (82% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Musk Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 341886, Austin, TX 78734
Phone: (737) 235-6956
Website: https://muskfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Musk Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Foundation - See Attachment a ($370.0M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $439.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,000,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 51 grants of 175 (29%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Texas recipients received 82% of grant dollars, followed by Ohio (7%), California (4%), Missouri (1%), and Maryland (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Musk Foundation gives
- 23% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 197% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $10.2M (2020) to $474.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $474.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Foundation - See Attachment a Austin, TX | Support School Operations and Programs | $205,784,489 |
| The Foundation - See Attachment a Austin, TX | Support School Operations and Programs | $149,179,959 |
| Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OH | Support of Public Charities | $25,000,000 |
| The Foundation - See Attachment a Austin, TX | Support School Operations and Programs | $14,990,164 |
| Fidelity Charitable - See Attachment a Cincinnati, OH | Support of Public Charities | $10,003,643 |
| Baylor Scott & White Healthcare Dallas, TX | Support Health Initiatives | $7,157,000 |
| X Prize Foundation Inc Culver City, CA | Support Technological Development for Carbon Removal | $5,450,000 |
| Austin Habitat for Humanity Austin, TX | Support Affordable Housing and Community Development | $5,000,000 |
| The Seton Fund St. Louis, MO | Support Health Intiatives | $5,000,000 |
| Windward School Los Angeles, CA | Support School Operations and Programs | $5,000,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $462,970,680 | $94,680,190 | $474,745,343 | $474,325,312 | 55 | $474,381,752 | $20,589,565 | $446,222,454 |
| 2023 | $536,153,034 | $20,491,653 | $237,275,888 | $236,621,463 | 43 | $236,645,423 | $20,313,090 | $424,040,305 |
| 2022 | $650,716,295 | $2,554,831,265 | $165,521,865 | $160,461,913 | 31 | $160,567,914 | $308,679,504 | $353,793,903 |
| 2021 | $379,579,235 | $6,029,889,623 | $166,931,758 | $159,938,705 | 42 | $160,085,353 | $326,378,178 | $202,945,202 |
| 2020 | $217,338,090 | $155,888,188 | $10,261,584 | $10,200,000 | 4 | — | $155,864,562 | $18,358,532 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Musk Foundation reported a distributable amount of $446.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website lists those five areas as support priorities. Its 2024 grants also included support for school and university programs, health initiatives, affordable housing and community development, STEM education and digital literacy, and carbon-removal technology.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Austin Habitat for Humanity says it brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Digital Harbor Foundation describes its work as advancing digital equity, diversity in technology, innovative education, and technology for the public good. Code.org says it works to expand access to computer science and increase participation by young women and underrepresented groups. The St. Bernard Project says it helps communities reduce the time between disasters and recovery.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 55 grants totaling $474,325,312. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $205,784,489, with a median of $1,000,000.
The largest reported grants included $205,784,489 and $149,179,959 to “THE FOUNDATION - SEE ATTACHMENT A” for school operations and programs; $25,000,000 to Fidelity Charitable for support of public charities; and $14,990,164 to “THE FOUNDATION - SEE ATTACHMENT A” for school operations and programs. Other notable grants included $7,157,000 to Baylor Scott & White Healthcare for health initiatives; $5,450,000 to X Prize Foundation for carbon-removal technology development; and $5,000,000 each to Austin Habitat for Humanity for affordable housing and community development and Windward School for school operations and programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Elon Musk as president and director; Jared Birchall as secretary, treasurer, and director; and Matilda Simon as director.
Musk Foundation is led by Elon Musk, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elon Musk
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jared Birchall
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matilda Simon
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Matilda Simon-Ferrigno (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Musk Foundation
How much does Musk Foundation give each year?
Musk Foundation gave $474.3M across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $236.6M across 43 grants.
What is Musk Foundation's typical grant size?
Musk Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000,000, and its average grant was $8,624,097, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Musk Foundation give grants?
Musk Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (8 grants), Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Brownsville, TX (3 grants) and Cincinnati, OH (2 grants).
Does Musk Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 55 grants with a stated purpose on Musk Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support School Operations and Programs" (4 grants).
Who are Musk Foundation's largest grantees?
Musk Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Foundation - See Attachment a ($369,954,612 across 3 grants), Fidelity Charitable ($25,000,000) and Fidelity Charitable - See Attachment a ($10,003,643), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,000,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Musk Foundation?
Musk Foundation reported $463.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $474.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $446.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Musk Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website lists those five areas as support priorities. Its 2024 grants also included support for school and university programs, health initiatives, affordable housing and community development, STEM education and digital literacy, and carbon-removal technology. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Musk Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Musk Foundation's EIN?
Musk Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-2133087. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Musk Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Musk Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/musk-foundation-morg_6333b8d10bb14343805c9bce88c927e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_852133087_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Musk Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/musk-foundation-morg_6333b8d10bb14343805c9bce88c927e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Musk Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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